GPs threaten to stop administering flu jabs unless they are paid more

The union claims that because it is no longer economically viable, family doctors no longer order vaccines to stop the next winter.

GPs have threatened to refuse to administer flu jabs to patients at the NHS unless they are paid better.

The British Medical Association (BMA) would like the Government to boost its investment in the flu vaccines to GP practices by 34 per cent.

The union claimed that family doctors were already deciding against ordering stock in the next campaign of the NHS to take the flu vaccine, usually beginning in September.

The BMA alleged that it could no longer afford to have some surgeries to administer the jabs in a letter to the Chief Medical Officer of England, Prof Sir Chris Whitty.

At present, family doctors receive £10.06 per flu vaccine administered, which it claimed was an increase since 2018-19. The union reported that this was equivalent to a reduction in real terms of approximately a quarter and demanded that payment of all vaccines should be raised to £13.48 – an upsurge of over a third.

Meanwhile, the child immunisations (e.g., measles, mumps, and rubella, MMR) have increased by £2 a dose, and GPs have also received the £2 a dose payment since the pandemic, as all Covid vaccinations they have administered have been counted.

In 2024-25, 18.2 million flu shots were given in GP practices. Assuming that the same number of jabs were given, the additional £3.42 per flu jab will add £62.2m annually to the NHS.

Most vaccinations are administered by the staff in GP practices, particularly nurses, and not by doctors.

In the letter, Dr Julius Parker, the deputy chairman of the BMA GP committee, wrote, “The consequences of the real term decline in funding for these programmes can be severe for both GP practices and patients.

He said the situation was “reaching the point that many practices may feel that participation in the annual flu programme is no longer a financially viable option ” because of rising costs.

“We are already hearing from practices across the country that they do not intend to sign up for the next year’s flu programme and consequently are not planning on ordering vaccine stock,” he added.

Dr Parker said the BMA was “concerned that any action to correct the current situation will only come once practices actively start to pull out of the programme “.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “While GPs are benefitting from higher fees for vaccinating children, and will receive another increase for next autumn and winter’s Covid programme, the NHS will keep funding under review to ensure it delivers for patients, taxpayers and providers. “